Sitecore: argument out of range when page editor is enabled

Question

The only goal right now is to run the Sitecore page editor without issues. The error comes from the following URL:

http://localhost/sitecore/shell/Applications/WebEdit/WebEditRibbon.aspx?db=master&id={guid}&la=en&vs=1&url=%2F&mode=edit&sc_pagesite=website&trf=%2Ftemp%2Fdiagnostics%2Ftrace_{guid}.xml&prf=%2Ftemp%2Fdiagnostics%2Fprofile_{guid}.xml&dev={guid}

I'm getting this exception when I open any page with the page editor enabled:

16028 13:57:46 ERROR Application error.
Exception: System.Web.HttpUnhandledException
Message: Exception of type 'System.Web.HttpUnhandledException' was thrown.
Source: System.Web
   at System.Web.UI.Page.HandleError(Exception e)
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest()
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)
   at ASP.sitecore_shell_applications_webedit_webeditribbon_aspx.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context) in c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Temporary ASP.NET Files\root\3d565cb3\44f479ba\App_Web_pyaedh12.0.cs:line 0
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously)

Nested Exception

Exception: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException
Message: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
Source: mscorlib
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object[] parameters, Object[] arguments)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at Sitecore.Reflection.ReflectionUtil.CallMethod(Type type, Object obj, String methodName, Boolean includeNonPublic, Boolean includeInherited, Boolean includeStatic, Object[] parameters)
   at Sitecore.Web.UI.Sheer.ClientPage.OnLoad(EventArgs e)
   at System.Web.UI.Control.LoadRecursive()
   at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)

Nested Exception

Exception: System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException
Message: startIndex cannot be larger than length of string.
Parameter name: startIndex
Source: mscorlib
   at System.String.Substring(Int32 startIndex, Int32 length)
   at Sitecore.Links.LinkProvider.LinkBuilder.GetItemPathElement(Item item, SiteInfo site)
   at Sitecore.Links.LinkProvider.LinkBuilder.BuildItemUrl(Item item)
   at Sitecore.Links.LinkProvider.GetItemUrl(Item item, UrlOptions options)
   at Sitecore.Providers.LinkProvider.GetItemUrl(Item item, UrlOptions options)
   at Sitecore.Web.WebEditUtil.GetItemUrl(Item item)
   at Sitecore.Shell.Applications.WebEdit.WebEditRibbonForm.RenderTreecrumbGo(HtmlTextWriter output, Item item)
   at Sitecore.Shell.Applications.WebEdit.WebEditRibbonForm.RenderTreecrumb(Item item)
   at Sitecore.Shell.Applications.WebEdit.WebEditRibbonForm.OnLoad(EventArgs e)

The page renders fine when the page editor is disabled.

Running versions:

• Sitecore 7.2.
• ASP.NET MVC 5.2.3 (also tried 5.1.3).

I have tried removing anything that's related to Sitecore in layouts/renderings, but that error still occurs. I realize that it can be impossible to figure out what's going on without seeing the configuration files, but here's to hoping someone have stumbled onto this error before!

Thanks!

Answer 1

The issue was the rootPath attribute. It appears that it cannot be two levels below /sitecore/content. When I changed it from /sitecore/content/foo/bar to /sitecore/content/foo it worked again. Hopefully a Sitecore veteran can explain why this is!